Apparatus for manufacturing carbureted hydrogen



(No Model.)

W. H. au G. E. RUSSELL.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING CARBURETED HYDROGEN. No. 602,408.

Patented Apr. 12, 1898.

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ATTORN EY UNTTnn STATES PATENT @Trina .VILLIAM H. RUSSELL AND GEORGE E. RUSSELL, OE HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, NEW' JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING CARBURETED HYDROGEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N O. 602,408, dated April 12, 1898.

Application filed September 14, 1897. Serial No. 651,597. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we,WILL1AM H. RUSSELL and GEORGE E. RUSSELL, citizens of the Unit-ed States, and residents of Hasbrouck Heights, Bergen county, New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Gas, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to the manufacture of combustible gas, and particularly of gas adapted for illumination; and it consists in the apparatus employed in such manufacture.

Our invention consists in the liberation of hydrogen by the decomposition of water simultaneously by electrolysis and Vchemical action and the forcing of carbureted air into the generator,whereby it is intimately mixed and more or less combined with the hydrogen in the generator. The mixed air and gas may also pass through a carbureter on its way to the burners or a holder; and the invention has also for its object to produce an apparatus well adapted for house use or small plants, to produce a cheap gas, and to produce a gas of low specific gravity and high illuminating power, whereby it may be supplied through the same house-pipes that are employed for ordinary illuminating-gas and used with small burners.

In the accompanying drawing,which illustrates an embodiment of our invention, the iigure is a vertical section or sectional elevation of the apparatus as we prefer to construct it.

C represents the carbureted-air-supply apparatus as a whole. A represents the generator as a whole, and B an additional or enriching carbureter.

The generator A is adapted for decomposing acidulated water both electrolytically and chemically for the production of nascent oxygen and hydrogen. This generator comprises an outer open vessel or reservoir l, provided at its bottom with a cock-controlled wasteoutlet 2 for drawing oif sediment, dac. Vithin the vessel 1 is an inverted cup 3, preferably of copper and forming one electrode of the pile. This cup rests on supported in the vessel l at its lower edge,whereby the acidulated liquid 5 in the vessel is permitted to pass freely under its lower edge.

Any convenient means for effecting this object may be substituted for that shown.

Mounted in the bottom of the inverted cup 3 and insulated electrically therefrom is a tu- 55 bular conductor G, preferably of copper and having a receptacle 6 at its lower pendent end to contain the other electrode 7, preferably zinc in scraps. The receptacle 6,which will by preference and for convenience be 6o made of greater diameter than the tube 6, may be of copper connected integrally or electrically with the tube 6. The basket or receptacle GfL will be perforated or foraminous.

The outer end of the tube 6 is closed by a 65 into the liquid hydrocarbon 10 therein,where 75 said branch pipe is provided with a perforated nozzle or tip 9b.

So far as described the action is as follows: Then the generatoris charged as described,

the basket Gais submerged in the liquid elec- 8o trolyte 5, which may be dilute sulfuric acid, andelectrical action and chemical action are set up. By the former water is decomposed, and the freed gases (oxygen and hydrogen) rise in the holder formed by the inverted cup 3.

Chemical decomposition is also set up, the zinc combining with the acid to form zinc sulfate, and hydrogen being liberated, this latter also rising in the holder. The carbureted air from the apparatus C flows to the generator under 9o some pressure, and the latter is made quite hot by the chemical action going on therein, and the carbureted air is mixed with the gases in the generator. The mixed gases generated as described pass through the pipes 9 and 1l 95 to the burners 12 or may pass through the pipes 9 and 9a to the enriching-carbureter B, where they pass into the liquid mass l0, and then rise, passing through a l iiltering-diaphragm 10a to eliminate any liquid particles roo held in suspension. This filtering-diaphragm may be conveniently made of mineral Wool held between two sheets of perforated metal or gauze. From the upper part of the carbureter B the gas may pass to the servicepipe 11, here shown as provided with burners 12.

The device C in its preferred form shown in the drawing comprises a suitable blower or air-forcing apparatus 14, driven by any power whatever, a carbureter l5, which may be like the carbureter B, a pipe 16 and branch 1G, connecting the eduction side of blower 14E with said carbureter, and a pipe 17, which leads the carbureted air to the hydrogen-generator.

Should the gases in the generator A accumulate beyond that escaping at the burners, the liquid 5 in the inverted cup 3 will be depressed While it rises in the exterior vessel 1, and by removing the liquid more or less from contact with the electrode 7 thus reduces the generation of gas. This action of the accumulated gas serves as an automatic regulator. lf it be desired at any time to arrest the production of gas in the generator, the tube 6 may be drawn up unt-il the basket Ga is above the level of the liquid 5, as seen in dotted lines. To enable it to do this, the tube 6 is made to play through an insulated gland or packing 13. The scraps of Zinc 7may be inserted at the upper end of the tube 6 after the cap 6b has been removed.

We have stated that the cup 3 will be of copper, by preference, and the electrode 7 of zinc; but we do not limit ourselves in this respect. Other metals having similar electrical qualities may be used. The outer vessel l of the generator may be of any suitable materialas glass, for example.

Our gas produced by the generator may be employed for enriching and rendering lighter the illuminating-gases now in use,` such as the common street-gas, so called, and the heavy gasolene-gas.

Having thus described our invention, we claim- 1. ln a gas apparatus the combination with the hydrogen-generator A, the carbureter B, the pipe 9, connecting said carbureter and generator, the carbureted-air-supply apparatus C, connected with the generator A, of a service-outlet leading from the carbureter B, and a valved by-pass connecting said serviceoutlet and said pipe 9, substantially -as and for the purpose described.

2. In a gas apparatus, an electrical generator A, for decomposing the acidulated Water forming the electrolyte of the generator, said generator comprising a vessel 1, a cup-like electrode 3, inverted in said vessel, a tube 6, mounted in the bottom of the inverted cup 3, and insulated therefrom, said tube being adapted to play longitudinally in its bearing, a foraminous holder or basket 6a on the lower end of the tube 6, and containing an electrode 7, the said electrode, the liquid electrolyte, and means for producing an electrical connection between the tube 6 and the cup 3, substantially as set forth.

3. Ina gas apparatus,the combination with an air-forcing apparatus for forcing air into the generator, of an electrical generator A, for decomposing the water in the electrolyte thereof, said generator comprising avessel 1, a cup-like electrode 3, inverted in said vessel, a tube 6, mounted in the bottom of the inverted cup 3, and insulated therefrom, said tube being adapted to play longitudinally in its bearing, a foraminous holder or basket 6 on the lower end of the tube 6, and containing an electrode 7, the said electrode, the liquid electrolyte, and means for producing an electrical connection between the tube 6 and the cup 3, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

lVILLlAM H. RUSSELL. GEORGE E. RUSSELL.

lVitnesses:

HENRY CONNETT, PETER A. Ross. 

